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Historical Papers <£ 
of the Society ^t^t^t 
of Colonial Wars in 
District of Columbia 
No. 2, J900j*jMj* 




Rear Admiral 
Francis Asbury Roe, 
U. S. N. 



An 
American 
Sea Captain of 
Colonial Times 





WSSk 




tV 



AN AMERICAN SEA 
CAPTAIN OF COL- 
ONIAL TIMES, ^^.* 



AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OF COLONIAL 

TIMES.* 

BY REAR ADMIRAL FRANCIS ASBURY ROE, UNITED STATES 
NAVY, RETIRED. 

Erom the very beginning of onr Colonial life, our ances- 
tors busied themselves with the sea and the building of ships. 
Sea-faring and ship-building occupied them as much or per- 
haps even more than the clearing of forests, the raising of 
corn, or the rearing of cattle. Whatever might happen to 
them, the great fishing seas of Nova Scotia and New Found- 
land brought to their very door not only food and nourish- 
ment, but also provided for them the beginnings of a com- 
mercial career, which was ultimately to build up the great 
Western Continent. All along the coasts of New England 
and Long Island the children of the Colonists took to the 
sea; and its adventures and tough, hardy life gave to our 
country a race of men of inestimable courage and sharp- 
witted worth. 

Bermuda and the West India Islands were their markets, 
and from the beginning of the eighteenth century whole 
fleets of American sea-craft, mostly schooners, swarmed 
along the coasts of North America. But it was something 
more than trade and barter that was gained by this growing 
race of seamen. Every craft sailing to the West Indies, or 
the Spanish Main, was armed to the teeth. Every bight and 
bay and estuary of the southern coast and the shores of the 
West Indies, swarmed with pirates and buccaneers ; and the 
Colonial craft, sailing down to the Spanish Main, or the 
islands, fought their way there, and oftentimes fought their 
way back again to their own friendly shores. Thus it was, 

*A paper read before the Society of Colonial Wars, District of 
Columbia, March 12, 1900. 



4 AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OE COLONIAL TIMES. 

that sea-navigation became an instinct with these heroic men, 
and sea-fighting became a profession and a science to them. 

About the year 1740, the French Government had drawn 
the lines of hostile operations so closely around the coasts 
and along the frontiers of the American Colonies, that there 
was universal alarm spread abroad from New England to 
Virginia, from Crown Point to Fort Necessity. But that 
alarm did not weaken the courage nor daunt the resolution 
of the Colonists. It was clearly seen that the fixed purpose 
of the King of France was to extinguish the infant Anglo- 
American Colonies, to destroy the home of English liberty, 
and to fetter this western world with the feudal despotism of 
the Latin nations. 

Three lines of invasion were converging slowly but none 
the less surely upon the devoted Colonies. The valley of the 
Alleghany and Ohio rivers was occupied by French military 
garrisons, and strong posts at Three Rivers, Crown Point 
and Ticonderoga kept the way clear to Lakes Champlain and 
George, and the valley of the Hudson. The third, and per- 
haps the most dreaded line, was from the seas of Nova 
Scotia and New Foundland, leading to the exposed coasts of 
New England and Long Island. 

Along the shores of Acadia, Prince Edwards Island and 
Isle Royale, every bend and inlet, every naval and military 
position of value was occupied by French soldiery and their 
red-handed allies, the Indians. Already at Cape Breton 
Island, the frowning fortress of Louisburg had sent its omi- 
nous warnings to the settlements on the American coasts, for 
on that island was planted the strongest fortification in either 
the old or new world. It was built on the system of Vauban, 
by engineers trained and educated under that master, and for 
a quarter of a century the French Government had kept a 
garrison there, busy as beavers, and nearly as silent, adding 
bastion to bastion, redoubt to redoubt, and wall upon wall. 
Its spacious harbor, fitted for a base of naval operations, 
was so completely fortified that the squadrons of Warren and 
Tyng did not dare to enter it. It was a vast arsenal of war, 
and intended to be to New England what Halifax is to-day. 



AN AMERICAN SUA CAPTAIN 0E COLONIAL TIMES. 5 

Isle St. John (Prince Edwards), Isle Royale (Cape Breton), 
the Bay of Fundy, the Straits of Canseau, and every adjacent 
river or estuary, and every coast line from New Foundland 
to Cape Sable, were so many centers of hostility, that lead 
up to the coast towns and harbors, from Maine to Sandy 
Hook, threatening the Colonies with fire and sword. All 
northern Acadia, the country of the murderous Micmacs, 
and bordering on the waters of the Bay of Fundy, was bris- 
tling with hostilities. These northern coasts and seas were 
swarming with privateers, pirates, armed transports, and 
ships of war. Every craft afloat at that period was armed to 
the teeth and fought its way over the ocean. Ships and their 
crews as well were all armed, and there was but little dif- 
ference between the corsair, the buccaneer, the privateer, or 
the man of war. 

It was upon this scene of the French and Indian war, that 
our Colonial Sea Captain makes his appearance. 

About the year 1730, for exact dates cannot be had, there 
was born in or near the city of Boston, a child of modest but 
respectable parents, who received the name of John Rous. 
He was descended from an ancient Anglo-Norman family of 
rank, which at this writing is represented in England by 
Lord Stradbroke. The name is probably one of the oldest 
in Europe, reaching back, as it does, to the Norman invasion 
of England, back to the Norse invasion of Normandy, and 
then still farther back to the old Danish and Norse histories. 
The youth grew up on the shores of the waters of the Mas- 
sachusetts Bay Colony, and like many of his companions, 
became familiar with boats, sea-craft, and seamen. No doubt 
he listened to many a tale of adventure and fight down the 
Spanish Main, and no doubt knew the story of his relative, 
who, in 1752, was one of Drake's confidential captains. Be 
it as it may, young Rous took to the sea, whether from a 
fondness inherited from the old Vikings, or from association 
with the seamen and fishermen of Boston, it matters not. 

Each of the Colonies maintained its own little navy of 
armed vessels for the protection of their harbors and the 



6 AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OF COEONIAE TIMES. 

convoy of their traders. Rous, as a native of Massachusetts, 
put himself under the order of Governor Shirley, the ''War 
Governor" of that period of "storm and stress" of our youth- 
ful nation. For several years Rous made it his object to 
carry fire and ruin into the enemy's lines. His command was 
a little squadron of two, and sometimes three or four 
armed craft, sailing together. He ravaged the waters of the 
Bay of Fundy and the coasts of the Micmacs and Abanakes. 
He swept the Straits of Canseau, the shores of St. John, Isle 
Royale, and the ocean as far north as New Foundland, of 
the French fishing fleet, of armed transports, and of priva- 
teers, making his name a terror throughout those northern 
seas. Wherever he found an outlying military post, an 
earth-work, or a French garrison, there was work for Rous. 
He had trained and disciplined his sailors to fight on land as 
well as on sea. To land his men, march them into the in- 
terior by night, and then sweep away an outpost of French 
and Indians, leaving to the morning light a scene of smoking 
ruins, such was his work on shore, and by such means he 
made the French soldiers weary of their lives. No French 
forts or batteries could be erected along the coasts and es- 
cape the sharp eye and midnight attack of Captain Rous. 

Fighting at sea and harassing the enemy whenever he 
could find him, was the work and pastime of this heroic sea- 
man during the years of his early manhood. By his aggres- 
sive naval life on the enemy's coasts, he was nobly defending 
all of New England from attack. So long as he was afloat 
the Colonists felt themselves safe from French pirates or 
from French invasion by sea ; and it may be truly said that 
this one man was the guardian and defender of New England 
on the ocean for nearly twenty years. In 1745, when, at 
General Shirley's suggestion and entreaty, the extraordinary 
resolution was taken by the New England people to fit out 
an expedition of land and sea forces to besiege and capture 
the dreaded fortress of Louisburg, Captain Rous was 
selected by Governor Shirley as second in command under 
Captain Tyng. The Governor gave him the "Shirley" galley, 
a frigate of twenty guns. As this little vessel bore the name 



AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OF COLONIAL TIMES. 7 

of the Governor, we may well suppose the command of her 
was a special compliment to Captain Rous. Captain Edward 
Tyng was in chief command of the Colonial Squadron, with 
the frigate "Massachusetts" as his flagship, and Captain 
John Rous was second in command. The Colonial Squadron 
consisted of the "Massachusetts," of twenty-four guns; the 
"Shirley," of twenty guns; the "Caesar," of twenty, another 
of sixteen, another of twelve, and two others of eight guns 
each. There were two sloops from Connecticut of sixteen 
guns, a Rhode Island privateer of twenty, the Government 
sloop "Tartar," of fourteen guns, and twelve swivels, and a 
sloop of fourteen guns of the New Hampshire navy — thir- 
teen vessels in all, armed with 172 guns. What was the 
calibre of these guns is not well known, but they probably 
ranged from six pounders to twenty-four, or even thirty-two 
pounders. The small craft were armed with six pounders 
and swivels. Such was the squadron commanded by Tyng 
and Rous at the siege of Louisburg, one of the most mem- 
orable sieges on record. This squadron convoyed the ex- 
pedition under General Pepperell to the Strait of Canseau, 
aiding to complete its organization and prepare for the stub- 
born work at hand, not many leagues from Louisburg. 
From this point Tyng and Rous shaped their course for the 
harbor of Louisburg, there to blockade and cut off supplies 
and reinforcements, and to entrap the French transports and 
ships of war. 

In the meanwhile, Commodore Warren, commanding a 
British squadron of three ships in the West Indies, at the 
urgent request of Governor Shirley, had been ordered by the 
British Government to rendezvous at Cape Breton, promptly 
obeyed his orders, and at the appointed time, made his junc- 
tion with the Colonial Squadron, already awaiting him. 
Commodore Warren commanded three regular ships of war 
of the Royal Navy, the "Superb," the "Mermaid" and the 
"Launceston," all frigates of the first or second class. When 
the expedition appeared in Gabarras Bay, about a league to 
the westward of Louisburg, the two squadrons were at their 
stations. Then boats and men assisted the expedition to 
land, but dared not venture inside the harbor for fear of the 



8 AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OE COLONIAL TIMES. 

guns of the shore batteries. It required over one hundred 
years of naval training and experience before our navy was 
willing to undertake such a task. 

In the midst of heavy firing by the batteries of the besieg- 
ers and besieged, when the combatants were in the very hot- 
test of their work, the ships at Louisburg harbor saw out at 
sea, standing in for the port, a large sixty-gun frigate of the 
French Navy. Rous, ever alert and vigilant, was the first to 
put to sea to overhaul the stranger. He boldly stood out 
on the port tack, close-hauled, until he came within range 
of the frigate's fire, then suddenly he went about, stood on 
the other tack and headed in for the harbor ; meanwhile 
keeping up a rapid fire from his stern chasers. Captain 
Maisonforte, of the "Vigilant," a sixty-gun frigate, excited 
by the chase, allowed himself to be lured to his destruction, 
while the tactical Rous led him farther and farther on, until 
suddenly the French captain found himself in the midst of 
the allied squadrons. The running fight that had been main- 
tained showed the strategy and skill of the clever seaman. In 
the heavy fight that ensued, Rous was ever first and fore- 
most, sailing round the big frigate, taking up positions 
ahead, and then astern, pouring in his broadsides, and raking 
the decks of the doomed ship. 

The "Vigilant" lost no less than eighty of her crew in 
this sea fight before she hauled down her colors. She was 
laden with heavy reinforcements of men and munitions of 
war, and an immense amount of gold and silver — nearly 
enough to pay the expenses of the expedition. The capture 
of this ship not only utterly demoralized the garrison of 
Louisburg, but it aroused the enthusiasm and excited the 
courage of the besiegers to renewed and fierce activity. 

After the battle and the fall of the great fortress into 
American hands, Commodore Warren and Captain Tyng 
gave great praise and high commendation to Captain Rous 
for his engagement with the "Vigilant," and especially for 
the masterly and seaman-like manner of his running fight 
with the French frigate. Rous was at once given an appoint- 
ment as a post-captain in the King's Navy and assigned to 
the command of the frigate "Superb." 



AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN Of COLONIAL TlM^S. 9 

After the fall of Louisburg and down to the peace of 1748, 
Rous, in his new command, continued his operations against 
French warships, privateers and transports. He made havoc 
among the French fisheries ; at one time bringing in no less 
than eight, and at another five good French ships with 
seventy tons of oil. Here and there we gather scraps of in- 
formation of his career during his famous cruises in this 
frigate throughout these northern, stormy, foggy seas. He 
swept them clear of French commerce, and from the Banks 
of New Foundland to the waters of the Bay of Fundy, and 
from the region of the St. Lawrence and the coasts of Maine, 
all privateers disappeared before him. 

Subsequent to the peace of 1748, Rous went to England 
on several occasions, still, however, retaining command of 
his English frigate, and on each return he was given a change 
of ships. He is recorded as having the sloop-of-war 
"Albany;" then, in 1755, that year which was the turning 
point in the desperate struggle between England and France 
for the dominion of our Continent, he was ordered to com- 
mand the "Success," a twenty-two gun ship, with which he 
returned to his old familiar haunts along the coasts of Nova 
Scotia — ever the watchful guardian of his native shores. 
Then, he commanded at one time three twenty-gun ships and 
a sloop on the St. Johns river, which raised him to the noble 
rank of a commodore in the Royal Navy ; and it was when 
cruising with this command that the fear and terror of his 
name caused two captains of French frigates of thirty-six 
guns each, to blow up their magazines and destroy their 
ships. That was not the kind of victory, however, that was 
over-pleasing to our sea captain. 

Two years later, in the year 1757, we find Captain Rous in 
command of the English frigate "Success," under Admiral 
Holbourne's flag at Halifax. He was then transferred to the 
command of the frigate "Winchelsea," of twenty-four guns, 
still on the Halifax station. At the end of the year 1757, he 
again returned to England and was promoted to the 
"Southerland," of fifty guns, and in this command he came 
back to America, where he renewed his warfare against the 



IO AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OE COLONIAL TIMES. 

King of France, the mortal enemy of both his paternal and 
native countries. 

Captain Rous continued his life of warfare on the sea, as 
he began it, until he heard of the work of Wolfe and Am- 
herst, and the glorious victory on the heights of Abraham. 
He then recognized that the power of the French King in 
America was forever broken. He knew that America hence- 
forth was to be free from the long impending doom of feu- 
dal despotism, as was illustrated under Louis XV. in France, 
and was forever won as the home of liberty, and the personal 
sovereignty of the English-speaking race. He knew that the 
knell of the doom of feudal kings had sounded, and that his 
own life's work was ended. Wearied in body and soul, 
broken in health by twenty years of active service at sea, he 
returned to England in 1758, and on the 3d day of April of 
that year he died in Portsmouth. 

Unfortunately, not a scrap of his writing, not even a 
description of the personal traits or appearance of Captain 
Rous has come down to us. Here and there in official papers 
and letters only, do we find the record of his heroic deeds that 
gleam forth through the fogs, the mists, the swirling tides 
and snow and sleet of our northern seas, preserving forever 
the ancient name and lineage of one of the bravest cham- 
pions, whose career forms one of the proudest pages of 
American history. 

It is safe to say that no man of New England, who lived 
throughout the stirring and stormy years from 1740 to 1758, 
rendered more valuable and heroic service to the American 
Colonies than Commodore John Rous, of the American 
Privateer Service, who won his way to the appreciation of 
England and her King, and became a flag officer in the Royal 
Navy. 

The period of his life was the turning point and the crisis 
in the history of the long suffering nations in their deadly 
struggle for human liberty in conflict with organized feudal- 
ism of every monarch in the world. It was a conflict not 
only for the dominion of this Continent, but for the very life 
of human liberty itself. While Washington and Armstrong 
were beating back the line of French invasion in the Ohio 



AN AMERICAN SEA CAPTAIN OF COLONIAL TIMES. 1 1 

Valley; while Sir William Johnson and the gallant Colonel 
Lyman were defeating the French Army under the many- 
titled Commander-in-Chief Dieskau, bringing him to their 
camp a prisoner of war ; while the glorious Wolfe was fight- 
ing his way up the banks of the St. Lawrence to the Heights 
of Abraham, this sea lion of the north, amid sleet and storm, 
current and mist, fog and danger, held the ocean free, and 
for nearly a quarter of a century kept at bay the sea forces 
of invasion, bidding defiance to the mighty King of France. 

Such was the fisher-boy of Boston, the privateer of New 
England, a captain in the Massachusetts Navy, then passing 
to and fro on the deck of an English frigate across the 
Atlantic, flying the broad pennant of a Royal Commodore of 
the great British Navy ! 

Washington, D. C, December 14, 1899. 



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